Magazine Love: Janelle Monae Graces the Cover of ESSENCE Magazine!

Janelle Monae is an R&B/Soul/Pop artist that has been praised for her coiffed pompadour (which is traditionally a mans hairstyle) and her various tuxedo's which she wears at every event and every time she is in the public eye. Janelle Monae looks awesome on this cover. She doesn't make herself into some type of sex symbol. She's using classic timeless looks from both genders and creating a look of her own that works for her. 

Some people are tired of seeing her tuxedo look but I'm not. I think she can spin that look into different versions if she just added a pop of color or wore a pencil skirt instead of a pair of slacks. Just a suggestion for me (which below I found a photo of that small pop of color I was suggesting earlier, she's light years ahead of me lol). I hope Janelle keeps on pushing with recently being named a spokes model for CoverGirl she's moving right along in Hollywood but doing it her terms!

According to MadameNoire.com Janelle has a particular message she's been trying to get out:

“People don’t ask Jay-Z to take his shirt off when he rhymes…I like skirts and dresses just like everyone else, but I had a message I needed to put out there. It was up to me to show people and young girls there was another way.”

Read more at http://madamenoire.com/270058/covergirl-is-a-cover-girl-janelle-monae-covers-may-issue-of-essence-talks-new-album-and-unique-style/#OSP2QSJfbo40Ruvi.99 

Here's a snippet from the article available via FashionBombDaily.com of the Essence Interview:

"redefine what it means to be sexy and what it means to be a woman. Showing my skin is not what makes me sexy. I like skirts and dresses just like everyone else, but I had a message I needed to put out there. It was up to me to show people and young girls there was another way."

As I mentioned before Janelle is doing BIG things with her career her new album Electric Lady is coming out soon and she of course has her CoverGirl contract. She's graced the covers of other magazine's as well ELLE, Honey, JET, PRIDE, jones, RollingStones, north, BLURT and etc. The Huffington Post covered her CoverGirl announcement and how she felt about being considered a beauty icon. 

She had some really great and inspiring things to say and I wanted to share it with you guys:

What’s the best beauty advice you’ve ever been given?
"You are only as beautiful as the many beautiful things you do for others without expectation."

We were so excited to hear that you were tapped to join CoverGirl's crew of beauties. How do you plan on inspiring your fans through your specific CoverGirl ads/commercials? 

"I truly want to help redefine what it means to be a strong and beautiful woman in the music and fashion worlds. I'd love to encourage all women to embrace the wonderful things that make us unique. Becoming a CoverGirl is truly a gift--it opens up a new platform for me to inspire women to feel stronger, braver and more beautiful inside and out. I want everyone woman to know in her heart that she is already a CoverGirl."

Being a woman of color, does the role hold special significance?"Absolutely, I want every woman of color, women everywhere, to know we are all CoverGirls and to feel even more proud, more fearless, and more beautiful inside and out!"

To read more follow this link to the Huffington Post: Black Voices -> http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/09/19/janelle-monae-talks-covergirl_n_1898418.html

Sources: MadameNoire.com, HuffingtonPost.com, & FashionBombDaily.com